Walker Might be More than a Rent-A-Player for Atlanta

Playing on a subpar roster in Atlanta, Antoine Walker might be on his way for a season in which he averages 20 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game. If Walker brings the kind of leadership the Hawks are hoping for, he could be hard for the Hawks to part with.

General manager Billy Knight has called Walker the kind of player he would like to have going forward, but it won't be easy.

Walker makes $14.625 million this season in the final year of his contract and would almost certainly have to take a pay cut to remain. It is highly unlikely that any other club would give him a contract worth as much as the Boston Celtics did several years ago.

One alternative would be to deal Walker during the season or after, possibly in a sign-and-trade deal. There is now a strong chance that both the Hawks and Walker would want to continue their relationship.

Via Atlanta Journal Constitution

Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks

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Payton Suffers Fractured Thumb

X-rays on Gary Payton's right hand revealed a non-displaced fracture in the point guard's right thumb.

Payton did not play last night against the Pistons and had the top of his thumb bandaged, but the Celtics expect him to play in the season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night at the FleetCenter. It could be his first action in more than a week, since coach Doc Rivers may keep him out of practice for the remainder of the preseason. The injury will be reevaluated on a daily basis.

"I'm just going to take it one day at a time," said Payton. "We'll just keep treating and hopefully it will get better. I don't want people to think that something's wrong with my hand and then go after it in a basketball game. It will heal the way it should heal. The pain has gone away."

Rivers speculated that Payton would need "some tape job" to stabilize the thumb when he returns to action. From his own experience, Rivers knows that passing can be particularly difficult with a thumb injury.

"Obviously, it will affect his play," said Rivers. "It's his right hand. He's going to have to have some contraption on it."

Via Boston Globe

Boston Celtics

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Red Sox Win! The Celtics are Now Boston's Resident Cursed Team

The Red Sox have won their first World Series since 1918, killing the Curse of the Bambino.

The New England Patriots have won the Super Bowl two out of the last three years and are on a 21-game winning streak.

Now Boston's romantic notions of heartbreak will be shifted to the Boston Celtics who haven't won a title since 1986.

They have grounds that they have been afflicted with a curse, with the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis. The failures of Rick Pitino.

Danny Ainge, a member of the Celtics championship teams of the 1980's is in control now and rebuilding the team around Paul Pierce.

They're not going to win the title now and Boston is likely happy about that, as they're no longer tragically suffering from their Red Sox.

Via MLB.com

Boston Celtics

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